Injuries

Knee update

| cheriarmour

I have a confession to make.  I mentioned something a few weeks back, but have been pretty vague about my knee.  Some of it has been denial.  Some of it has been in the hope that with enough soaks, taking the Etodolac that the doc prescribed, and not doing too much on it, that I will be okay.

The honest truth is that I’m 100% freaked out by the fact that I may actually be injured, and I’m not handling it very well.

So to back it up, I’ve posted this before, but incurred my very first broken bone when I was 17 and playing rugby at Elon.

Rugby Injury

I fractured my tibial tuberosity at the precise moment this photo was taken, and as a result, ended up on crutches from about November to January of 2005, and then ended up in a lot of physical therapy. As a result, the knee has acted up here and there, but never really anything serious enough for me to be really nervous, and never, ever serious enough for me to see the doctor about, especially as I’m enrolled in a high-deductible benefits package. Going to the doctor all willy-nilly isn’t really an option for me because I end up paying for everything out of pocket.

A little over a month ago, during Wake County’s Spring break, because a lot of our instructors were going to be out, I subbed a TON of classes, and that was the start of some of my trouble with my knee. It was sore, and didn’t want to extend all the way out. Once I started physical activity, it felt okay (not great), but the starting, and the after was always really difficult for me.

I popped Aleve nonstop, had a run-in with some strong arthritis medication that resulted in a call to Poison Control, and bathed nonstop in an attempted to quell some of the pain, but it never got better.  Not worse either to be fair, but not better.

Finally, last Friday, I went to the doctor, where they x-rayed the knee, and couldn’t find a whole lot, since an x-ray really is only going to show bone.  In the case of a knee, where there’s a lot of soft tissue, it’s tricky, and I have to wait until I get an MRI later this week, then get it read to find out what it is that’s going on.

I’m hoping for nothing.  I’m really hoping it’s just some inflammation, and that nothing else needs to happen going forward except the continuation of my NSAIDs until I feel good and strong on my own.  My worst fear, and I hate even typing this, is that I’ve torn something, and will require a really non-terrible arthoscopic surgery.  But that whole concept freaks me out, and I’m not exactly ready for that.

Will all of that mouthful said…

What are you up to today?

Owned by a box jump.

| cheriarmour

I have been working hard hard hard, trying to get the group fitness schedule out, because once Christmas comes, I don’t really want to do JACK.  So when I got sick of sitting in front of the computer (which doesn’t really take that long), I hopped off my desk, and went over to the treadmill.

For one, there was this gorgeous tall leggy thing beside me who was running like a beautiful gazelle.  Now I am a lot of things – I leggy and tall, but I’m over 99% sure that I don’t look as good as she does on the machine.  And I completely own that.

For two, the gym is starting to get really really crowded, so the treadmills have started to do this weird thing where they sort of get overwhelmed and short out, so I was really getting it during Uptown Funk [see below]

I’m sort of addicted to this song – love the 70s theme, and once again, Mark Ronson kills it!

Anyhoo, so I’m really getting it during this song and the treadmill just CUTS OFF. I kind of just stopped, looked around. The girl next to me continued to run in her beautiful way, and I just tried to avoid eye contact with everyone else on the floor.

I finished up the run, and went over to the functional fitness area and did some clean and presses, dead lifts, and decided to quickly top that off with a little bit of box jumping.

Have you ever tripped while box jumping?

Just…don’t.

Mid-jump, I found myself preoccupied by something, and my shin caught the box.

“SHIT”

Of course, at that precise moment, I turned behind me to see who might have witnessed the foul, and my boss was standing behind me, mouth completely agape. Go me!

BruiseLong story short, my legs are just not cute at all – but at least I managed to sneak my workout in during such a busy busy week!

How are you sneaking in your workouts during this nasty (weather-wise) week?

 

Q: My plantar fascia feels tight and it hurts :( what do I do?

| cheriarmour

This question comes from my dear pretty friend, Liz Passannante, all the way from New York.

liz
Liz Passannante

First off.  I am not a doctor.  So if something bad is actually wrong with you, do NOT listen to me.  Listen to the person who went to medical school, not the girl who still eats Welch’s Fruit Snacks on a regular basis.

Now moving right along.  You’ve run, you’re sitting down to stalk your friends on Facebook, and you realize that your plantar fascia is tight!  (Your PF is a super super thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot.  If your arch is super flexible, your PF is getting a ton of stretch-contract and stretch-contract, and that’s probably why it’s sore and tight).

Anyhoo, so you realize as you’re chilling at home that your plantar fascia is tight and could use a stretch. Here’s what you do in a pinch.

First, sit in a chair, and cross your foot over your knee like a boy sits.  With the heel of your hand (right foot, right hand and visa vera), pull back on your toes till you feel that band stretch.  Again, don’t injure yourself, be smart about the stretch, and stop if you feel like you’re doing more hurt than good.

Then, grab a can of hairspray off the bathroom counter, and spritz your hair.  Look how good you look!

Sike, make sure that it’s one of those metal thick ones, and roll your foot over the bottle.  Bear a little weight if you need to.

Finally, put on your CEP Compression socks and go to sleep!  Don’t overdo the stretch and irritate it further.  In the future, to prevent this, stretch and warm up well before a run.  Don’t forget to stretch your calves and your achilles – everything is interconnected!  And for safekeeping, put a 16-oz Deer Park in the freezer, and roll your foot on this every time you feel that twinge of tightness in your foot.

Great question, Liz!